Some Observations

jaycb74 wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I can ride the bumps with the best of them

You'll pardon me if I put on my skeptic's hat. If you could truly ride
with the best of them, you'd be riding them all the time and liking it
because that's what you have to do to ride them with the best of them.

I wouldn't say I ride with the best of them, but I love, love, love the
bumps. There's very little more satisfying to me in snowboarding than
really nailing a section of bumps, where you find the line and the
rhythm and manage to get your fear of speed out of the way - yeehaw!

Neil

Try some fresh powder and then talk to me!

"Neil Gendzwill" wrote in message
...
jaycb74 wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I can ride the bumps with the best of them

You'll pardon me if I put on my skeptic's hat. If you could truly ride
with the best of them, you'd be riding them all the time and liking it
because that's what you have to do to ride them with the best of them.

I wouldn't say I ride with the best of them, but I love, love, love the
bumps. There's very little more satisfying to me in snowboarding than
really nailing a section of bumps, where you find the line and the
rhythm and manage to get your fear of speed out of the way - yeehaw!

Neil

Try some fresh powder and then talk to me!

Certainly: let's use that as an analogy. Novice powder snowboarders
like open glaciers. Experienced riders know that the best runs are in
the trees, where the powder's dryer, and as it happens, where the
bumps are. The buzz-word for open glaciers is "hero terrain". Anyone
can board that stuff.

Or transfer the argument to skiing and see how it sounds:
"Sure I can ride the bumps, but I don't because I prefer powder".
That would be silly ... good skiiers, and good riders, can ride all
terrain in all conditions. I ride a lot of non-resort powder, but when
I go to a resort I head for the bumps.

If anything I'm slightly embarassed for snowboarding generally that
many of us are not competent enough to ride even moderately difficult
terrain.


On the original post... comparing apples with oranges is tricky. I
regularly board in steep & deep and also at resorts with skiiers and
telemarkers and I don't think any of us have ever worried about the
differences.

phil wrote:
jaycb74 wrote:
Try some fresh powder and then talk to me!

Powder is fun, but it's hardly a challenge, is it? I had fun in
medium-steep powder on about my third day, while friends in skis
struggled. I think of snowboards as cheat devices for powder and crud.

If anything I'm slightly embarassed for snowboarding generally that
many of us are not competent enough to ride even moderately difficult
terrain.

Word. I'm often the only rider in the bumps, and if anyone else is
there they're typically ****ing off the skiers (and me) by scraping the
snow down to glaze in a continuous heel-side slide.

Neil

Boarders who enjoy bumps! A first for me and I've been riding for about 12
years with a large circle of friends in N. Cali. I guess whatever gets your
stoke going, bumps don't do it for me nor anyone I know...doesn't mean we
can't ride them or we aren't 'competent' riders, it just isn't enjoyable. I
also don't enjoy the pipe, does that mean I'm not a competent rider? I can
go in there and catch little airs but I guess after riding as long as I have
you just do what you enjoy, its not a contenst on the mtn. to prove your the
best all around rider.

Also, I'm not sure what type of powder your riding but try some 3 feet of
freshies down the KT-22 chutes @ Squaw and let me know how easy that is?
I've seen my life flash before me before dropping in on some of those runs.

"Neil Gendzwill" wrote in message
...
phil wrote:
jaycb74 wrote:
Try some fresh powder and then talk to me!

Powder is fun, but it's hardly a challenge, is it? I had fun in
medium-steep powder on about my third day, while friends in skis
struggled. I think of snowboards as cheat devices for powder and crud.

If anything I'm slightly embarassed for snowboarding generally that
many of us are not competent enough to ride even moderately difficult
terrain.

Word. I'm often the only rider in the bumps, and if anyone else is
there they're typically ****ing off the skiers (and me) by scraping the
snow down to glaze in a continuous heel-side slide.

Neil

jaycb74 wrote:
Boarders who enjoy bumps! A first for me and I've been riding for about 12
years with a large circle of friends in N. Cali.

Newbie 18 years for me.

Also, I'm not sure what type of powder your riding but try some 3 feet of
freshies down the KT-22 chutes @ Squaw and let me know how easy that is?
I've seen my life flash before me before dropping in on some of those runs.

Pow makes everything easier, unless you're worried about avy danger.
How'd you feel about those same chutes with some nice big icy bumps on them?

Neil

From the east coast, everything is just about ice....

riding for maybe 5 seasons but living in nyc, so I dont get as much
riding time as u guys.

whatever happened to just doing whatever feels good?

i dont like bumps or pipes, but i enjoy the big mountain ride, cruisin.


BTW, on the subject of bumps...what makes them fun anyway?




Neil Gendzwill wrote in
:

jaycb74 wrote:
Boarders who enjoy bumps! A first for me and I've been riding for
about 12 years with a large circle of friends in N. Cali.

Newbie 18 years for me.

Also, I'm not sure what type of powder your riding but try some 3
feet of freshies down the KT-22 chutes @ Squaw and let me know how
easy that is? I've seen my life flash before me before dropping in on
some of those runs.

Pow makes everything easier, unless you're worried about avy danger.
How'd you feel about those same chutes with some nice big icy bumps on
them?

Neil

How'd you feel about those same chutes with some nice big icy bumps on
them?

Nice big icy bumps? In my book there is nothing nice about icy bumps, I
wouldn't think about them at all...why put myself in that position? I don't
have a deathwish, that is for sure.

Plus, we rarely have icy conditions out here and if we do, I'm in the cabin
playing some poker or out snowshoeing...your not going to tell me I'm not a
complete rider now b/c I don't ride when its crappy conditions, are you?

"Neil Gendzwill" wrote in message
...
jaycb74 wrote:
Boarders who enjoy bumps! A first for me and I've been riding for about
12
years with a large circle of friends in N. Cali.

Newbie 18 years for me.

Also, I'm not sure what type of powder your riding but try some 3 feet
of
freshies down the KT-22 chutes @ Squaw and let me know how easy that is?
I've seen my life flash before me before dropping in on some of those
runs.

Pow makes everything easier, unless you're worried about avy danger.

Neil

Magnum626 wrote:

whatever happened to just doing whatever feels good?

Nothing wrong with that at all. Unless it feels good to sit on your ass
in a line across the run waiting for your turn at the hit. Then I have
a problem. I also have a problem with beginners scraping their way down
my favourite runs just to feel good about themselves and brag that they
"rode a black run". But other than those two things, knock yourself out

BTW, on the subject of bumps...what makes them fun anyway?

What makes anything on the mountain fun? They just are. A good bump
run is a rhythmical roller-coaster ride, with little bits of air thrown
in for grins. It's a challenge, and I just get a real kick out of
riding a tough section of them well. It's also fun to pass the skiers
on the way down...

The other thing is that most of the steeper runs where I ride get bumped
up pretty quick, so if you avoid them you're denying yourself a good
part of the mountain, which just seems wasteful to me.


Neil

jaycb74 wrote:

Plus, we rarely have icy conditions out here and if we do, I'm in the cabin
playing some poker or out snowshoeing...your not going to tell me I'm not a
complete rider now b/c I don't ride when its crappy conditions, are you?

Nope, I'm just pointing out that when you mention 3 feet of powder on
steeps, you're actually talking about the conditions under which it is
easiest to ride steeps. So it's not much of an argument for how hard
powder riding is. Don't get me wrong, I love powder, it's a ton of fun
and a big part of why snowboarding is great - but it's not difficult.

Neil